GREEN ISLAND - The village is weighing whether to cap the number of dogs and cats that residents can own at one time. The matter will be the subject of a public hearing Monday night, according to News 10.

Village officials are weighing whether to amend a local law to allow no more than three dogs or cats in a household, the television station reported.

"We had complaints about dog feces in one area. Police were then called to a house for a separate issue but found ten dogs in the apartment at the time," Mayor Ellen McNulty-Ryan told the station.

"I get the spirit behind enacting laws to limit pets," said detective Michelle Crowley of the Colonie police department, who has extensive experience with animal cruelty cases and control issues. "But why not use the laws already on the books, like misdemeanor animal cruelty?"

"If you're called to an apartment over feces or barking complaints or something else and find 10 dogs? Something is wrong there. There are underlying issues that need to be investigated by police. I've been called to scenes where, you know, animal control is called to a house covered in feces and there are kids there."

The topic is one heavily debated in the animal protection/law enforcement communities, the primary point of debate being the effectiveness of such laws and whether or not existing laws are more effective. Several Capital Region towns, such as Bethlehem and Guilderland, have local laws limiting the number of pets in a home.

"A hoarder doesn't think to himself, 'I'm hoarding -- this is against the law.' There's a psychological problem. Same with backyard breeders," said Crowley.